In case you don't follow me on Instagram and have missed out on my constant, obsessive stream of bunny picture posting, here you go:

This following is especially funny: Brown Bunny has figured out where the carrots are.

Warm enough to play outside! Yay!

Did you get your bunny fix? Okay. Swell.

This is algebra.

This is Micah.

HE IS SEVEN YEARS OLD.

I haven't been this impressed since he was 18 months old and very distinctly read the word "cat" off of a flash card (no picture included).

"Oh hey, I'm Micah. I like Mario, Pokemon, making jokes about butts and DOING SEVENTH GRADE MATH."

By the way, if you want to read the hilarious things Micah and his brothers say to me and their dad, you can follow them on Twitter.

Jeans, shirt and hat: Gap.

Earrings: Target.

Bag: Coach (a gift from my mom.)

Shoes: ModCloth.

Hair cut & color by: Rebekah Tori

It was SO hot this week in Chicago. Marky had bought tickets to David Bazan for Wednesday night and although I changed after work into a frilly little dress for our date, by the time I picked him up from the train, I had sweat right through it and was feeling cranky and gross. So as a treat, Marky took me to The Gap and bought me an outfit to change into. I was so grateful to have jeans on at the venue because they had the a/c CRANKED and I was actually cold, believe it or not.

The show went so late, but it was so good, I didn't mind. Here are a couple of my favorite tracks from his new album "Strange Negotiations." I can't stop listening to either of these. On "Eating Paper" the bass player did the little keyboard part WITH HIS FEET. Amazing. Also, I might have to cover "Won't Let Go" because I can't stop singing it to myself under my breath.

Quick outfit post: Great Gatsby Dress. Worn on Mother's Day.

Dress: Anthropologie (bought second hand for forty bucks.)

Pillbox Hat: Vintage 1960's, from my grandmother's collection.

Hairpin: Made by me.

Earrings: Thrifted.

Shoes: Thrifted.

Necklace: Birdz N Beez

I found this dress on someone's "Shop My Closet" type blog. I could not believe I was the first to offer to buy it. This dress is so unbelievable gorgeous. I would wear it way more often if I weren't terrified I was going to spill something on it and ruin the lovely white lace. Also, my grandmother bequeathed upon me HER ENTIRE HAT COLLECTION. You would not believe how fabulous it is. Also, her entire Jackie O-era suit collection. I've begun sending them to the cleaners one by one to be cleaned and tailored. It is going to take forever but I can't wait to start getting them back and wearing them in the fall.

Abandoned. That's what I've done to this blog... and lots of other things in my life lately. I'm reduced to a very simple formula - work, sleep, weekends with the kids to make up for five days of being away, dates with my husband to make up for five nights of being the kind of tired that renders you unconscious the moment your head hits the pillow. Anything outside this formula just doesn't work anymore. Writing? Playing music? Knitting? Making? Doing? It just takes away the precious little time I have to convince my kids that I'm not completely absent from their lives now. Even hanging out with friends, with people I love, leaves me feeling guilty. "I should be spending this time with my kids," I think to myself over and over and over.

Don't get me wrong - I love my job. I love it even more now that we're deep into the summer rush. As exhausted as I am, I thrive off of having to run around all day. But it's been an adjustment - and not an easy one. In two more months, I'll have been here a year already. And it feels like I just started. The pace is so crazy. When you're a full time mama, you have moments you have to stop. Nursing, rocking babies to sleep, snuggling after a a tearful recovery from scraped knees and elbows... Children force you to stop. Stop what you're doing and hold me, stop what you're doing and read me a story, stop what you're doing and listen to me, look at this with me, stop, stop, stop. And it's so simple - the priorities are so clear. Of course I'll hold you - you won't be little very much longer, of course I'll read to you - soon you'll be able to read this yourself, of course I'll listen... soon you'll be a teenager and maybe you won't want to talk to me at all. When you're at work, there is no one to stop you. And I was used to that. Children are exhausting too, but they're also very restorative.

Last night the boys wanted to show me their portfolios from art class. School is ending and they'd brought home all their projects from the year. It was total chaos. An entire of year of "Stop and let me show you this!" crammed into 15 minutes as I'm walking in the door after almost 12 hours of work and 2 hours of driving. They were fighting with each other for my attention, trying to show me everything all at once. I felt terrible. I haven't been here all year to see this. They were desperately trying to make sure each one got the most attention from me, that I would see each piece as quickly as possible. It was so unnatural. So weird. Eventually they all had to be sent to bed because they were fighting and yelling and unhappy.

I haven't learned how to be a good working mom yet. I know it can be done - I have seen others do it. But I'm still learning. And I know the long commute is part of the problem - that has to change. We have to move out of here... but my children will hate me for doing that to them. They love it here. I can't seem to find the right path through this - I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't. So i just get up every day, go to work and come home again, hoping the answer will come during one of those long drives.

I don't mean to sound all depressed and such - it's not a terrible situation - just a transition I am trying to navigate. It's like when you become a new parent and everything just seems so crazy and out of control until you get the hang of things. Just a transition.

At any rate, I've got lots of pictures to post which I will try to get to. I decided yesterday I am going to turn off my phone, focus on my kids, helping my husband get the house to rights, doing a couple things I never get to do (like blogging) and catching up on work so Monday doesn't hit me like a ton of bricks.

Soon. I'll get it right soon.

I love that it's warm enough for shorts and socks.

Shirt: H&M

Shorts and necklace: Forever21

Socks: Sockdreams

Shoes: ModCloth

Coat: Macy's

Flowers: c/o my children. <3

Jeremiah got his picture taken too. He is so fricken photogenic.

I love his serious face. Amazing. <3

Here's the thing about malls. I always think I'm going to like them... and then we get there and I want to kill myself. Neither Marky or I can actually buy anything because we can't stop for more than 30 seconds to really look or try anything on since the boys can't stay in one spot without imploding, the crowds cause severe anxiety to kick in due to a combination of feeling claustrophoic and worrying the boys will get lost/abducted and everything is so INYOURFACEHERESMELLTHISTRYTHISLOOKLOOKLOOKBUYEVERYTHINGNOW!

GAHHH!

Still, we bought some kickass Bionicles at the Lego Store and I snapped some super cute pictures of my boys so it wasn't a total loss.

We ended the day by finding a little park and running around for a while - I think the boys enjoyed that part of the day the most. In retrospect we probably could have just spent the day outside and let them online shop for their Lego guys and it would have been much more relaxing. Ah well. Lesson learned. Until next time, anyway.

This is what bunny love looks like:

Most likely 99% of you will find this boring and/or ridiculous. I do not apologize.

Also, that's Sharon Van Ettan in the background. Listen to her album "Epic." It's amazing.

My husband Marky's comments while watching the National Geographic Special on the Sphinx:

What!? It wasn't painted like THAT. God, I hate this already.

IT WASN'T A HUMAN HEADED LION, IT WAS A HEAD PUT ON A LION!

Seriously, don't you think they should just do sonic imaging around like, you know, 300 square feet?

IT WAS MADE FROM DIFFERENT ROCKS! GOD!

I think I'm supposed to go to Egypt.

This sucks. They are spouting all kinds of nonsense. This is bullshit. THERE WERE NO BODIES IN THE PYRAMIDS.

Ok, that one was a tomb. OK.

THIS IS WHY I NEED TO GO TO EGYPT.

Oh, THIS guy again!? (shakes head, disgusted.)

OKAY, GO AHEAD MR. ZAH-HAS! Go ahead, EXPLAIN THE FUNCTION OF THE SPHINX! GO AHEAD!

AND THEY USED THE PAPYRUS FONT! Oh my god, why am I even watching this?

New Venna song, captured by Chris. This show felt really good. Anyway.

Enjoy!